Critic Reviews

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90

Nintendo Life

Ys is a difficult game to rate, because when it’s judged in parts – such as graphics, combat, depth and so on – it’s comfortably bettered by practically every RPG released since. However, when everything is pulled together Ys becomes an epic proposition that will have a profound impact on anyone who gives it the time of day. Everything clicks together perfectly and it’s a testament to quality of the game that it remains appealing even today.

Attacking without an attack button takes some getting used to, but Ys Book I & II is still a fine adventure-RPG that's way ahead of its era and contains possibly one of the best videogame soundtracks of all time.

Ys Book I & II is a bit of an odd beast, as it's an early '90s remake of two late '80s action RPGs now emulated on the Wii in 2008. And its core combat mechanic, in which you don't attack enemies so much as you just run straight into them, is sure to both baffle and amuse even the most hardcore of adventure gamers. But that undeniable uniqueness is just what makes a download of this 800 Wii Point package worth consideration. TurboGrafx fans have been clamoring for this game since the first TGCD titles starting appearing in the Wii Shop, and it's easy to see why it's held in such high regard. So give it a look, and prepare to make those random baddies take a taste of their own body-collision medicine.